Engage Your Audience with Twitter Polls

Twitter Polls are a fun option for engaging your target audience in an entertaining and engaging way with content they really crave. A Twitter Poll is basically a survey in the form of a normal Tweet; it can be created from the same online form in which you type any Tweet, either on a desktop computer or on a mobile device.

For example, in the image above, you can see how a Twitter Poll is created on the Twitter app from a smartphone.

How to Create a Twitter Poll & How it Works

You get to decide how long the Twitter Poll will stay open (up to twenty-four hours is the cut off point), the options (or responses) people can choose from (you can create up to four of these), and you can design the question. People will vote privately by clicking or selecting one of the options.

Once someone chooses an answer to the poll, they will be able to view the current results in the form of percentages. Once the poll is closed, the original tweet will show the results in the form of percentages (which anyone can see) from then on. See the example below, tweeted by the Oakland Raiders Twitter page.

Creating a Twitter Poll is as easy as posting any other Tweet. Don’t forget though, you still need to think like a social media strategist. First, always be sure to hashtag within the poll, so it will be searchable. You may also want to hashtag it with trending hashtags; just don’t get too crazy or spammy with hashtagging.

Secondly, if you’re trying to increase click-throughs, always include a link in the poll to whatever you are promoting or sharing. If you’re trying to increase traffic to your blog and you’re surveying your audience about what they most want to read about, don’t forget to insert a link to one of your blog posts.

Use Twitter Polls as a way to improve brand awareness about your company. Engage with your audience in unique and exciting ways. Have a sense of humor and show off your personality. This is what keeps your target audience coming back for more and shows people that your content is worth following, reading, and sharing. A coffee shop might post a Twitter Poll asking their audience how they like take their coffee. This may not sound productive, but it allows the audience to chime in with their opinions and tastes, which gets attention.

As every social media marketer knows, everything is about timing. You’ll want to time out the Twitter Polls appropriately (when your target audience is most likely going to be on Twitter or when your highest levels of engagement typically happen). It’s also a good idea to time your Twitter Polls with current events, holidays, sporting events, news, etc. This is an opportunity to engage people with what’s on their minds. A department store might ask Twitter users which products they are most excited about this holiday season.

A Twitter Poll is another way to feature a product launch. You can link to the product in the Twitter Poll, and ask your target audience what makes them most excited about your new product. Or you can use Twitter Polls to advertise a promotion you’re running. Ask customers which promotion they would rather have – a twenty percent coupon off any item or a fifty percent discount on a specific item. This allows you to get to know your audience, and your audience will be happy to get an option that fits their wants and needs.

Last but not least, always make Twitter Polls fun. You’re target audience will associate you with that and that kind of engagement goes a long way.

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